Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety : a normal human emotion that everyone experiences.

Anxiety Disorder: mental illness which can cause distress and interfere with the ablility for a person to lead their normal life.For people with anxiety disorders, fear/worry can be constant and overwhelming.

FACTS:

1. Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses in kids and adults.
2. 40 million American Adults are estimated to suffer from anxiety disorders; only about 1/3 recieve treatment for their condition.
3. Anxiety disorders develop from several factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.
4. Anxiety disorders are treatable and the majority of people with one can be helped by professional care; (therapy, medication).

Everyday Anxiety?

• worry about paying bills, romantic breakup, finding a job
• case of nerves before a big test, business presentation, etc.
• realistic fear of dangerous object, place, or situation
• sadness/trouble sleeping after a traumatic event

OR

Anxiety Disorder?

• constant worry that causes significant distress/interferes with daily life
• "out-of-the-blue" panic attacks
• irrational fear or avoidance of an object
• uncontrollable repetitive actions such as excessive cleaning/checking/touching
• recoccuring nightmares/flashbacks related to a traumatic event several months or years before.

Psychological Disorders

Psychological Disorder "a pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that impact multiple life areas and/or create distress for the person experiencing these symptoms"

Classification of a disorder requires that symptoms are identified; sets of symptoms for a syndrome.

To classify disorders: the American Psychiatric Association produced a Diagnosis and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). 

There are many different perspectives of what causes a psychological disorder to occur.

Today's psychology studies how biological, psychological, and social factors combine to produce disorders; it was first developed by a cardiologist, Dr. George Engel in 1977; this is called the bio-psycho-social perspective. 

 

 Examples of disorders

• Anxiety Disorders ( generalized, panic, phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder)
• Mood Disorders (depression, bipolar disorder)
• Personality Disorders
• Schizophrenia